Denmark: New code of conduct for international student recruitment

The Danish government has introduced common guidelines for higher education institutions in their dealings with international students. The new code of conduct, building on an earlier voluntary version adopted in 2010 by only eight universities, is binding for all higher education institutions in Denmark, and their compliance with the rules is monitored by the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science. Aiming to protect the interests of foreign students, the code contains provisions regulating various relations between institutions, recruitment agents and students. The expectation of the ministry is that the provision of transparent and quality information about study opportunities will increase Denmark’s appeal as a study destination for foreign applicants and consequently ensure the supply of high quality graduates for Danish businesses.

The code establishes standards for institutions on providing accurate information about the quality and accreditation status of their degree programmes, admission criteria and other procedures relevant to international students. In addition, the guidelines on the use of recruitment agents hired by institutions state that the responsibility for ensuring the correct conduct of agents towards foreign applicants lies with the higher education institutions. The code also addresses the integration of international students, requiring that institutions make every effort to create diverse study groups made up of international and domestic students to foster learning and the exchange of cultural knowledge.